KBA Builds New Digital, Flexographic Press Demo Center in Würzburg, Germany

WÜRZBURG, Germany — March 15, 2017 — Nine months before the official ceremony to mark the 200th anniversary of Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) in September 2017, the foundations were laid in January at the company’s Würzburg parent plant for a new digital and flexographic press demo center. On March 14, KBA Chairman Claus-Bolza-Schünemann and Christoph Müller, CEO of the subsidiaries KBA-Digital & Web Solutions AG & Co. KG and KBA-Flexotecnica S.p.A., who will rent the demo center from the holding, laid the foundation stone of the new building.

Architect’s sketch of the new demo center for digital and flexographic presses at KBA’s headquarters in Würzburg.

With a usable area of around 2.100 m², modernized premises of 21,164 m³ and investment totaling a formidable € 6 million (including technical infrastructure; without demo presses) the building project is one of ambitious scale. It is the latest in a series of new buildings at the Würzburg site, following a new logistics center and design building in 2001, two new production halls in 2003 and 2008 and a new foundry in 2012.

Investment in Growth Sectors
In the presence of Würzburg’s mayor, Christian Schuchardt, members of the group board, the architect, contractors and other guests, Bolza-Schünemann drew attention in his opening speech to the contraction of media-focused print markets and the successful realignment of KBA Group concentrating on growth sectors like packaging, digital and industrial functional printing. 70% of the group’s new press revenue is generated in the booming packaging sector. The group headquarters in Würzburg was chosen as the site for the new demo center to provide suitable, conveniently situated presentation facilities with easy access to Frankfurt International Airport for customers from expanding markets.

Claus Bolza-Schünemann emphasizes the growing importance of packaging printing for KBA. Flexographic printing technology for flexible packaging and corrugated cardboard will therefore be on show at the new demo center.

Counterpart to Sheet Offset Customer Center in Radebeul
As counterpart to the demo center for sheet offset presses and processing systems at Radebeul in Saxony, the new demo center in Main-Franconia will feature a RotaJET digital printing press for commercial, publication and decor printing, a flexo rotary press from KBA-Digital & Web Würzburg’s Italian subsidiary KBA-Flexotecnica cooperating on flexible packaging, and a newly developed sheetfed flexo press from KBA-Digital & Web for direct printing on corrugated cardboard. The center is due to be ready for occupancy in autumn 2017. Aside from customer demos, testing new developments is also planned.

The new demo center in Würzburg is being built directly adjacent to Koenig & Bauer AG's administration building.

Solutions for Virtually all Print Markets
Commenting on the new demo center, Bolza-Schünemann, said, “KBA-Digital & Web builds the world’s largest inkjet roll-fed rotary presses and in future also high performance sheetfed presses to meet the growing demand for corrugated cardboard packaging. Our Italian subsidiary KBA-Flexotecnica offers technically outstanding flexo rotary presses for film, paper and lightweight cardboard packaging. With the widest portfolio of all manufacturers, KBA Group offers print solutions for virtually all markets. We want to present our systems for the above growth sectors live in action at the new demo center. Many of our national and international customers want to see the presses being operated in action before they decide to invest. And of course, we hope that this substantial investment will have a positive impact on our business in these new markets for KBA.”

Source: KBA.